In the Toronto Catholic District School Board, all schools have adopted a literacy program called “Literacy in the Middle Grades.” We have writing and reading workshops each day for a total of 90 minutes of language. Language is integrated throughout the curriculum as well. See the Curriculum Tab for more information.
Mathematics
The children are using a program devised by Nelson Publishing called “Nelson Math Grade 4”. The math program includes all five strands seen on the report card: Number Sense and Numeration, Geometry and Spatial Sense, Measurement, Patterning and Algebra, and Data Management and Probability. Nelson Math is a program that is used in various schools across Ontario. It is approved by the Ontario Ministry. The Nelson website also includes many supplementary activities that your child can use to consolidate their skills.
Science
There are four strands of Science that your child will be learning throughout the year: Understanding Life Systems Habitats and Communities; Understanding Structures and Mechanisms Pulleys and Gears; Understanding Matter and Energy Light and Sound; Understanding Earth and Space Systems Rocks and Minerals. I use the Ontario Educational Resource Bank, as well as a variety of other on-line resources for most of the information your child will be learning.
Social Studies
In the Toronto Catholic District School Board, we use a resource entitled “Many Gifts”. It integrates the two social studies strands of the curriculum entitled Heritage and Identity: Early Societies, 3000 BCE-1500 BCEand People and Environments: Political and Physical Regions of Canada with the religious expectations of a Catholic School.
Physical Education
The Ontario Physical Education Association of Ontario has put out a binder with many lessons for Physical Education that teachers use all across Ontario. The three strands for Physical Education are Healthy Living, Fundamental Movement Skills, and Active Participation. The government has also mandated that children participate in 20 minutes of Daily Physical Activity (DPA). Mr. Wong will be teaching the health and physical education curriculum this year! We are requesting that children always wear their runners each day in order to participate in DPA.
The Arts
Teachers use various resources to teach The Arts to children. The three strands of The Arts include Drama and Dance, Visual Arts, and Music. We have a vocal music teacher (Mr. Colla) that comes into our school and teaches 30 minutes of music to the children each week.
The Languages
Students at St. Paschal Baylon receive 30 minutes of French instruction per day. They also receive 30 minutes of Italian instruction a day.
Religious Education
The Ontario Ministry of Education has recently developed a Religious Education Curriculum Document for teachers to follow. Teachers across the Toronto Catholic District School Board use a resource called “We Belong to the Lord Jesus” to teach religious education to the students. For family studies, we use a resource entitled “Fully Alive”.
We do try to integrate the curriculum areas wherever possible to make learning more exciting for your child. Please take an interest in what your child brings home. Ask them what they are doing in school. You will be surprised at how much your child will know!